A total of 138 local players have been included in the main draft by Sri Lanka Rugby ahead of the highly anticipated Sri Lanka Super 7’s series that is expected to kick off this July.
The star-studded Sri Lanka Super 7’s series, which was inaugurated by Sri Lanka Rugby last year, was a colourful display of the shorter format of the oval ball game where eight franchise teams competed for the title. The series was vibrant with the presence of overseas players from all parts of the world who brought in a whole new level of professionalism to the game.
Read More : Super 7’s coming to Kandy
This year’s series is set to light up July with the first leg expected to kick off at the Nittawela Grounds in Kandy on the 8th and 9th of July followed by the second leg that will be worked off at the Racecourse Grounds on the 15th and 16th of July.
In line with the Super 7’s series, Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) has released a list of 138 players who will be available for the initial local draft for the franchise teams. The franchises will be able to sign the local players in the local draft and later bid for the foreign players.
The 138 players fall into four categories; A, B, C & D according to their skills, experience and abilities.
Category A
Category A consists of the players from the current Sri Lanka national sevens squad and includes the talents such as sevens captain Danushka Ranjan and Fazil Marija. Category A is expected to have the highest base price.
| No | Player | Club/School |
| 1 | Jason Dissanayake | Kandy SC |
| 2 | Danush Dayan | Kandy SC |
| 3 | Anuradha Herath | CR & FC |
| 4 | Sudarshana Muthuthanthri | Havelock SC |
| 5 | Danushka Ranjan | Kandy SC |
| 6 | Richard Dharmapala | Kandy SC |
| 7 | Kevin Dixon | Havelock SC |
| 8 | Reeza Rafaideen | CR & FC |
| 9 | Kavindu Perera | CR & FC |
| 10 | Chanaka Chandimal | Navy SC |
| 11 | Omalka Gunarathane | CR & FC |
| 12 | Buddhima Piyaratane | Navy SC |
| 13 | Nishon Perera | Havelock SC |
| 14 | Samith Dananjaya | Navy SC |
| 15 | Tarinda Ratwatta | CR & FC |
| 16 | Fazil Marija | Kandy SC |
Category B
The Category B pool consists of the potential Sri Lankan players and includes players who have worn the Tuskers jersey in the sevens and fifteens format as well as those seen as players for the future.
| No. | Player | Club |
| 1 | Rehan Silva | CR & FC |
| 2 | Kavindu Costa | CR & FC |
| 3 | Sudam Sooriyaarachchi | Havelock SC |
| 4 | Anuruddha Wilwara | Kandy SC |
| 5 | Saliya Handapangoda | Navy SC |
| 6 | Sashan Mohomad | CR & FC |
| 7 | Lee Keegal | Navy SC |
| 8 | Sudarshana Dikkumbura | Havelock SC |
| 9 | Hirantha Perera | Havelock SC |
| 10 | Dulaj Perera | Havelock SC |
| 11 | Ganidu Lakshan | Havelock SC |
| 12 | Nalaka Maduranga | Army SC |
| 13 | Suhiru Anthony | Kandy SC |
| 14 | Gayan Weeraratne | Kandy SC |
| 15 | Shehan Pathirana | Kandy SC |
| 16 | Roshan Weeraratne | Kandy SC |
| 17 | Wajid Fawmy | Police SC |
| 18 | Adeesha Weeratunga | Navy SC |
| 19 | Niroshan Fernando | Havelock SC |
| 20 | Naveen Henakankanamage | S. Thomas’ |
| 21 | Taariq Salih | CR & FC |
| 22 | Sithum Pieris | Havelock SC |
| 23 | Mohamed Abzal | Navy SC |
| 24 | Lavanga Perera | Kandy SC |
| 25 | Thilina Wijesinghe | Kandy SC |
| 26 | Vimukthi Rahula | Havelock SC |
| 27 | Radeesha Seneviratne | Air Force |
| 28 | Sasanka Ariyaratne | CR & FC |
| 29 | Thilina Weerasinghe | Navy SC |
| 30 | Suranga Bandara | Police SC |
| 31 | Supun Dilshan | Navy SC |
| 32 | Nuwan Perera | Air Force SC |
View photos: Sri Lanka Super 7’s 2016 (2nd Leg) – Day 2
Category C
The Category C basket consists of the current club players representing the top tier clubs. The club players are divided into two sub-groups. A total of 48 players are listed here.
| No | Player | Club/ School |
| 1 | Ruwan Kumara | CH & FC |
| 2 | Janith Chanaka | CR & FC |
| 3 | Mushin Faleel | Police SC |
| 4 | Janith Deniyage | Police SC |
| 5 | Thanuja Maduranga | Navy SC |
| 6 | Gayantha Iddamalgoda | Air Force SC |
| 7 | Surya Krishan | Air Force SC |
| 8 | Gayan Dilshan | CR & FC |
| 9 | Buwenaka Udangamuwa | Kandy SC |
| 10 | Joel Perera | Police SC |
| 11 | Oshan Perera | Kandy SC |
| 12 | Hashan Maduranga | CH & FC |
| 13 | Asitha Rathnayake | Kandy SC |
| 14 | Sandesh Jayawickrema | Police SC |
| 15 | Mekhalanka Pramodh | CR & FC |
| 16 | Randitha Warnapura | CR & FC |
| 17 | Chamare Dabare | Havelock SC |
| 18 | Lahiru Lakshan | Navy SC |
| 19 | Shermal Weerasekara | CR & FC |
| 20 | Iranga Ariyapala | Army SC |
| 21 | Senal Deelaka | Havelock SC |
| 22 | Romesh Ramdas | Air Force SC |
| 23 | Ramesh Fernanado | Havelock SC |
| 24 | Vageesha Weerasinghe | CR & FC |
| 25 | Shehaan Dias | Havelock SC |
| 26 | Udaya Sanjula | Police SC |
| 27 | Naleen Kumara | CR & FC |
| 28 | Rashean Bandaranayake | Trinity |
| 29 | Dinesh Lakshan | Navy SC |
| 30 | Iroshan Silva | Police SC |
| 31 | Pium Jayasinghe | CR & FC |
| 32 | Sharo Fernando | Havelock SC |
| 33 | Charith Seneviratne | Air Force SC |
| 34 | Sandun Kodituwakku | Police SC |
| 35 | Richie Dharmapala | Navy SC |
| 36 | Bhanuka Nanayakkara | CR & FC |
| 37 | Thilina Bandara | Air Force SC |
| 38 | Dinush Chathuranga | Navy SC |
| 39 | Niwanka Prasad | Navy SC |
| 40 | Sajith Saranga | Navy SC |
| 41 | Chula Susantha | CH & FC |
| 42 | Suranga Pushpakumara | Navy SC |
| 43 | Sandun Herath | Havelock SC |
| 44 | Pramod Padmasanka | Air Force SC |
| 45 | Ashan De Costa | CR & FC |
| 46 | Gayan Wickramaratne | Navy SC |
| 47 | Ashan Bandara | Army SC |
| 48 | Ishara Madushan | Air Force SC |
Category D
The ‘D’ category will also carry the club rugby players and consists of a total of 42 players. The group will also include many of the under 23 players who are just fresh from the schools’ rugby arena waiting to make their entry into the professional sphere.
| No | Player | Club/School |
| 1 | Ihthisham Jaleel | Air Force SC |
| 2 | Kushan Indunil | CR & FC |
| 3 | Asitha Punchihewa | Navy SC |
| 4 | Ryan Weerakoon | CH & FC |
| 5 | Faris Ali | CH & FC |
| 6 | Harsha Maduranga | Air Force SC |
| 7 | Ashwantha Herath | CH & FC |
| 8 | Steve Dharmaratne | Police SC |
| 9 | Vihanga Pivithuru | Havelock SC |
| 10 | Udara Lakshan | CH & FC |
| 11 | Devinda Prasad | Havelock SC |
| 12 | Dinidu Thiwanka | Police SC |
| 13 | Kosala Tissera | Navy SC |
| 14 | Jero Dananjaya | Air Force SC |
| 15 | Imanka Ariyapala | Army SC |
| 16 | Udara Chanaka | Police SC |
| 17 | Uthpala Edirisinghe | Police SC |
| 18 | Shanaka Kumara | CR & FC |
| 19 | Thisila Karunathilake | CR & FC |
| 20 | Mohomad Rizvi | Army SC |
| 21 | Isuru Jayaratne | Air Force SC |
| 22 | Lahiru Jayatissa | CH & FC |
| 23 | Priyantha Ekanayake | CH & FC |
| 24 | Claude Chanaka | CH & FC |
| 25 | Shaminda Udayakumara | Air Force SC |
| 26 | Ranjan Baddegama | Air Force SC |
| 27 | Eranda Weerakkody | Kandy SC |
| 28 | Kasun Rajakaruna | Police SC |
| 29 | Shanel Maralande | Trinity |
| 30 | Sakya Bandara | CH & FC |
| 31 | Prince Chamara | CR & FC |
| 32 | Heshan Chathuranga | CH & FC |
| 33 | Madushanka Kasun | Air Force SC |
| 34 | Udesh Madushanka | Navy SC |
| 35 | Madusha Hapugaskumbura | Army SC |
| 36 | Supun Herath | Havelock SC |
| 37 | Ayesh Thiwanka | Navy SC |
| 38 | Ravindu Soysa | CH & FC |
| 39 | Salinda Chamara | Havelock SC |
| 40 | Dilaksha Chamara | Kandy SC |
| 41 | Gotfry White | CH & FC |
| 42 | Nirosh Udayanga Perera | Navy SC |
The local player bid will take place shortly upon the finalization of franchise teams.
Watch last year’s final leg: Sri Lanka Super 7`s Second leg |Day 2
